by Marissa Ellis
We know that “selling out” is part of the entertainment game. We do. But in light of the recent Mary J. Blige chicken-peddling fiasco, we appreciate those celebrities who are simply about their art that much more. Who are we talking about? Oh, you know, the ones that are successful enough to command the requests of advertisers seeking to hawk their products but classy enough to turn down offers to sing the praises of soda, chicken or DirectTV.
There’s nothing wrong with hawking products. This is America after all. But something about seeing Erykah Badu plugging The Gap just reduces her mystique and authenticity…ya know? Here are a few artists who have refused to water down their brand (and essentially turn down lucrative offers) for the sake of their main gig: being an artist.
Many entertainers look to and respect Sade. Beyonce just recently gave her a shout out on her new Tumblr page. But one thing that many of these popular artists don’t have on Sade is her focused love of the music – it’s so focused that she doesn’t engage in PR or care about red carpet engagements and certainly doesn’t care for endorsements. If there is one powerful global influencer out there when it comes to music, it’s Sade. We’re sure that Coke and Pepsi and countless others have begged for her plugs.
